CSC welcomes new faculty members

In the School of Liberal Arts, Dr. Justin Curtis is a new hire, Jonathan Rovner was hired in 2019, Dr. Nathaniel Doherty is returning to campus, and Jennifer Poarch is the Interim Director of Theatrical Performances. New faculty in the School of Business, Mathematics, and Science include Daphne Bishop, Jordan Haas, and Dr. Jeffrey Kiiskila.

School of Professional Studies and Applied Sciences

Dr. Jung Colen

Colen, an Assistant Professor, will teach mathematics education. She earned a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Pennsylvania State University. She also has a master’s degree in Elementary and Middle School Mathematics Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Educational Technology from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea.

Previously, she taught mathematics and mathematics education at St. Margaret’s School in Virginia, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania State University.

Her research interests reside in improving mathematics education. She has investigated in-service teachers’ conceptions of Standards for Mathematical Practice, teachers’ practices to promote students’ mathematical competencies, and innovative teaching strategies and tasks. 

Her first impression of Chadron is that it is a friendly community.

She has co-authored several mathematics textbooks, translated mathematics education books into different languages, and presented research at domestic and international conferences. She has been an editorial board member of the “Journal of the Korean Society of Mathematics Education,” and served as a reader/scorer of the College Board AP Statistics Exams.

Adam Fette

Fette will be an Education Instructor teaching Introduction to Teaching and Assessment Foundations.

He is joining the CSC faculty after serving five years as a Principal and Activities Director at Dundy County Stratton Public Schools in Benkelman, Nebraska. Before that, he was a 7-12 science teacher in Palmyra, Nebraska, for three years.

He is a graduate of CSC in Range Management and Biology Education and earned a master’s degree in Education Administration. He is completing a doctorate in School Improvement with an area of concentration in Educational Leadership through the University of West Georgia. He and his wife, Lisa also a CSC graduate, have a daughter, Leah.

“Working at CSC was attractive due to my familiarity with the program and institution as a previous student. I am excited to bring my experiences into the program that helped me grow into the educator I am today,” Fette said.

Joanne Hayes

Hayes is an Assistant Professor with a focus on Special Education teacher preparation. She will be teaching a variety of courses including Introduction to Teaching, undergraduate and graduate level Assessment for Individuals with Disabilities, Interpersonal Communication Skills, and Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Classrooms.

“I am delighted to be here at Chadron and looking forward to this semester. I came to Chadron because it is a more reasonable size yet has an excellent reputation while maintaining very high standards in education,” said Hayes. “The surrounding countryside is reminiscent of my childhood home in rural California and the people are universally kind and welcoming. Who wouldn’t love Chadron?”

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Business at Northeastern University, and a master’s degree in elementary education at Cambridge College, both in Boston. She taught literacy classes and Special Education at a middle school in Texas, and earned a second master’s in Special Education at the University of Texas.

Hayes taught at an elementary bilingual charter school before relocating to Connecticut where she taught literacy and history at a residential treatment facility for adjudicated adolescent girls. After eight years there, she decided to pursue a doctorate in Special Education at the University of Connecticut with a research focus on adolescent literacy. She will complete her dissertation this fall. 

Dr. Irasema Ortega

Ortega joined the Education faculty in the Spring of 2020 as an Associate Professor. She teaches research design, assessment, and evaluation courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“What attracted me to CSC was its reputation for being a teaching institution with a solid record of producing quality teachers. I am passionate about teaching, research, and learning,” Ortega said.

She was a middle and high school science teacher for 18 years in Florida and Arizona before she decided to pursue a doctorate at Arizona State University and enter higher education.

School of Liberal Arts

Dr. Justin Curtis

Curtis is joining the Department of Justice Studies, Social Sciences, and English as an Assistant Professor. His primary subject area is comparative politics. He will be teaching Introduction to Political Science, U.S. Government and Politics, and The Academic Life.

He earned his doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona in Government and Public Policy. His bachelor’s degree in Political Science is from Brigham Young University. His minor field as an undergraduate and a graduate was Middle Eastern Studies, and his dissertation was about Islamist political parties across the Muslim-majority world.

He has lived in Russia where he worked at an English-teaching school for children, and Tajikistan where he studied the Persian language.

Curtis and his wife, Jessica, have two children, Maisy and Chip.

“Chadron State was attractive to me because of the opportunity it will afford me to work closely with students and design curricula in political science. I would likely not be able to teach courses like (The Academic Life) anywhere else, so I am looking forward to this flexibility and these opportunities for creativity,” Curtis said.

Dr. Nathaniel Doherty

Doherty is returning to CSC as an Assistant Professor in the English department after being a faculty member during the 2016-17 academic year. He was Assistant Professor of Literature at Bard High School Early College Baltimore during 2019-20.

He will be an instructor in English and the Humanities teaching Writing and Rhetoric and Graphic Novels: Studies in Diversity. Originally from Connecticut, Doherty earned a Master’s in American Literature in Ireland. He earned a doctorate in English at Stony Brook University in New York. He said he and his wife, Kimberly Cox, an Assistant Professor in the English department, enjoy life in the community of Chadron and the opportunities for teaching and research.

When he was a King Library staff member in 2018-19, Doherty spoke during the Graves Lecture Series. He shared his observations about “Zone One,” a zombie apocalypse novel in his presentation, “Equanimity Among the Ruins: The Doubtful Value of Humanity in Colson Whitehead’s ‘Zone One’.” The novel was written during the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis and published in 2011.

Jennifer Poarch

Poarch is the Interim Director of Theatrical Performances. She was the Artist in Residence for CSC’s Theatre program in Spring 2020, and she completed her contract after converting both artistic classes to online courses. She enjoyed helping students build their confidence and prepare them for careers beyond graduation. Poarch managed auditions for both spring shows, and directed “She Kills Monsters,” in addition to teaching Stage Combat and Voice and Movement for the Actor.

She earned what she describes as a well-rounded bachelor’s degree from Lees-McRae College including stage work, directing, and technical aspects such as lights, sound, costumes, sets, and props. Poarch was certified in hand-to-hand, rapier, and quarterstaff combat by a Canadian Artist in Residence when she was an undergraduate student.

Poarch returns this semester to teach Principles of Acting and Audition Techniques as well as direct the fall musical, “I Love you, You’re Perfect…Now Change.” Later in the fall, Poarch will direct “What’s Next?,” an original work by David Craven, a past CSC Artist in Residence and colleague of Poarch.

Jonathan Rovner

Rovner was hired in 2019 and he will continue in the English Department as an Assistant Professor teaching transitional writing and creative writing.

He grew up in Denver and earned a bachelor’s in English from the University of Northern Colorado. He also has a master’s in English from Hollins University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho. Before coming to Chadron, he taught for three years at the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, and for six years at Morehead State University in eastern Kentucky.

His wife, Caitlin, is CSC’s Transitional Studies Director. The couple has a daughter, Penelope.

School of Business, Mathematics, and Science

Daphne Bishop

Bishop is an Assistant Professor who will teach principal accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, and taxation. She lived and worked in Texas where she earned an MBA in accounting at the University of North Texas (UNT).

After she received an MBA, she worked at a local Certified Public Accountant firm for about two years before returning to UNT where she worked for about 12 years, starting as a teaching assistant, accountant, and advancing to a senior grants and contracts specialist, and a financial officer. Her higher education experience also includes lecturing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

She is pursuing her doctorate of Business Administration in Accounting from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Bishop feels her domestic and foreign travel experiences allow her to enhance and enrich classroom experiences through sharing various cultural and business activities she has observed.

Jordan Haas

Haas will be an Instructor teaching pre-College Algebra courses. He graduated from CSC with an endorsement in 7-12 Math Education and as a graduate assistant taught College Algebra and Applied Statistics while he earned his master’s degree in Education Administration. 

He has been teaching junior high and high school math for the past seven years at Hemingford Public Schools, while also serving as the head football coach. He will continue as the high school football coach for Hemingford this fall.

“I am so excited to be back at CSC. I have been a lifelong Panhandle resident. Chadron State College has always been special to me. The people of Chadron brought me back. The sense of community at this college is second to none. I have made so many lifelong friends here and I am so grateful for the opportunity to return,” Haas said.

His wife, Lisa, an alumna, works for CSC as an athletic trainer.

Dr. Jeffrey Kiiskila

Kiiskila is joining the Department of Mathematical and Natural Sciences as an Assistant Professor. His primary subject areas are plant biochemistry and environmental remediation, though he has broad interests. He will teach Microbiology, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Introductory Chemistry, and Special Methods/Science.

He comes to CSC from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, his home state. He earned a doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Michigan Tech, along with a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences. His research at Michigan Tech focused mainly on the use of plants for the remediation of water contaminated with heavy metals and toxic organic compounds.

“Chadron State College was attractive to me because I thoroughly enjoy small town life and I was excited for the chance to work with smaller class sizes where I can really get to know my students,” Kiiskila said.